Patents by Inventor William Buxton

William Buxton has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 10579216
    Abstract: In general, the multi-touch detection implementations described herein use touch detection technologies to provide new and advantageous interactions between users and touch displays using touch, pens and user-wearable devices (UWDs). These new and advantageous interactions include user-associated mobile menus, combined click-through and radial marking menus, menus to automate and improve drawing or manipulation of content on a display, new menus and methods of selecting objects and text on a display, and new interactions with UWDs and touchscreen displays by using UWDs with gestures. In addition, targeted haptic feedback to the UWD of specific users of a display is enabled. In some multi-touch detection implementations menus or tools available to act on object on a display can be ported entirely, or in part, between displays, such as between small and large displays.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 29, 2016
    Date of Patent: March 3, 2020
    Assignee: MICROSOFT TECHNOLOGY LICENSING, LLC
    Inventors: Michel Pahud, Kenneth P. Hinckley, William Buxton
  • Patent number: 10289239
    Abstract: A sensing device, such as a user-wearable device (UWD) worn by a user of a touchscreen, may provide kinematic data of the sensing device or UWD and/or identification data of the user to a processor that operates the touchscreen. Such data may allow the processor to perform a number of user-touchscreen interactions, such as displaying user-specific windows or menus, processing user-manipulation of displayed objects, and determining which hand of a user performs a touch event, just to name a few examples.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 12, 2016
    Date of Patent: May 14, 2019
    Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLC
    Inventors: Michel Pahud, William Buxton, Kenneth P. Hinckley, Andrew M. Webb, Eyal Ofek
  • Patent number: 9919399
    Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention relate to roll polishers that may be utilized with rollers in rolling stands that have restrictive space requirements. The roll polisher of the present invention comprises a tube with pivot actuators used to engage and disengage a rolling pad on the surface of a roller. Transverse actuators may be located at least partially within the tube, or in other embodiments located outside of the tube, and used to move the tube, and thus, the rolling pad, transversely back and forth across the surface of the roller. The roll polisher may operate apply a force to the pad engaging the rolling surface to remove defects and smooth the surface of the polisher.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 17, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 20, 2018
    Assignee: NUCOR CORPORATION
    Inventors: William Buxton, Jason D. Barron
  • Publication number: 20170300226
    Abstract: The disclosed pen-mouse is a tracking menu that tracks the position of the pen. A pen cursor that corresponds to the pen is moved about within the pen-mouse graphic by the pen and the pen-mouse remains stationary. The pen-mouse is moved when the location of the pen encounters a tracking boundary of the pen-mouse. The tracking boundary coincides with the graphic representing the mouse. While moving within the pen-mouse, the pen can select objects within the pen-mouse body, such as buttons, wheels, etc. The selection of a button or other virtual control causes a corresponding computer mouse button function to be executed. The execution is directed at any object designated by a pen-mouse tracking symbol, such as an arrow, that is part of the pen mouse graphic. The pen-mouse emulates functions or operations of a mouse including single button clicks, double button clicks, finger wheels, track balls, etc.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 2, 2014
    Publication date: October 19, 2017
    Inventors: George FITZMAURICE, Gordon Paul KURTENBACH, William A. BUXTON, Robert J. PIEKE
  • Patent number: 9792040
    Abstract: The disclosed pen-mouse is a tracking menu that tracks the position of the pen. A pen cursor that corresponds to the pen is moved about within the pen-mouse graphic by the pen and the pen-mouse remains stationary. The pen-mouse is moved when the location of the pen encounters a tracking boundary of the pen-mouse. The tracking boundary coincides with the graphic representing the mouse. While moving within the pen-mouse, the pen can select objects within the pen-mouse body, such as buttons, wheels, etc. The selection of a button or other virtual control causes a corresponding computer mouse button function to be executed. The execution is directed at any object designated by a pen-mouse tracking symbol, such as an arrow, that is part of the pen mouse graphic. The pen-mouse emulates functions or operations of a mouse including single button clicks, double button clicks, finger wheels, track balls, etc.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 2, 2014
    Date of Patent: October 17, 2017
    Assignee: AUTODESK, INC.
    Inventors: George Fitzmaurice, Gordon Paul Kurtenbach, William A. Buxton, Robert J. Pieke
  • Publication number: 20170277367
    Abstract: In general, the multi-touch detection implementations described herein use touch detection technologies to provide new and advantageous interactions between users and touch displays using touch, pens and user-wearable devices (UWDs). These new and advantageous interactions include user-associated mobile menus, combined click-through and radial marking menus, menus to automate and improve drawing or manipulation of content on a display, new menus and methods of selecting objects and text on a display, and new interactions with UWDs and touchscreen displays by using UWDs with gestures. In addition, targeted haptic feedback to the UWD of specific users of a display is enabled. In some multi-touch detection implementations menus or tools available to act on object on a display can be ported entirely, or in part, between displays, such as between small and large displays.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 29, 2016
    Publication date: September 28, 2017
    Applicant: Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLC
    Inventors: Michel Pahud, Kenneth P. Hinckley, William Buxton
  • Publication number: 20170090666
    Abstract: A sensing device, such as a user-wearable device (UWD) worn by a user of a touchscreen, may provide kinematic data of the sensing device or UWD and/or identification data of the user to a processor that operates the touchscreen. Such data may allow the processor to perform a number of user-touchscreen interactions, such as displaying user-specific windows or menus, processing user-manipulation of displayed objects, and determining which hand of a user performs a touch event, just to name a few examples.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 12, 2016
    Publication date: March 30, 2017
    Inventors: Michel Pahud, William Buxton, Kenneth P. Hinckley, Andrew M. Webb, Eyal Ofek
  • Publication number: 20170010695
    Abstract: A user-wearable device (UWD) worn by a user of a touchscreen may provide kinematic data of the UWD and/or identification data of the user to a processor that operates the touchscreen. Such data may allow the processor to perform a number of user-touchscreen interactions, such as displaying user-specific windows or menus, processing user-manipulation of displayed objects, and determining which hand of a user performs a touch event, just to name a few examples.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 8, 2015
    Publication date: January 12, 2017
    Inventors: Michel Pahud, Kenneth P. Hinckley, William Buxton, Eyal Ofek, Andrew M. Webb
  • Publication number: 20170010733
    Abstract: A user-wearable device (UWD) worn by a user of a touchscreen may provide kinematic data of the UWD and/or identification data of the user to a processor that operates the touchscreen. Such data may allow the processor to perform a number of user-touchscreen interactions, such as displaying user-specific windows or menus, processing user-manipulation of displayed objects, and determining which hand of a user performs a touch event, just to name a few examples.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 8, 2015
    Publication date: January 12, 2017
    Inventors: Michel Pahud, Kenneth P. Hinckley, William Buxton, Eyal Ofek, Andrew M. Webb
  • Publication number: 20160210452
    Abstract: A processor-implemented method for collecting a sequence of security code characters includes: detecting a trajectory through a region proximate the device followed by an instrument; responsive to the trajectory, identifying one of a collection of defined gestures; and interpreting the identified gesture as the portion of the security code.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 19, 2015
    Publication date: July 21, 2016
    Inventors: Michel Pahud, William Buxton, Ken Hinckley, Ahmed Sabbir Arif
  • Publication number: 20150089437
    Abstract: The disclosed pen-mouse is a tracking menu that tracks the position of the pen. A pen cursor that corresponds to the pen is moved about within the pen-mouse graphic by the pen and the pen-mouse remains stationary. The pen-mouse is moved when the location of the pen encounters a tracking boundary of the pen-mouse. The tracking boundary coincides with the graphic representing the mouse. While moving within the pen-mouse, the pen can select objects within the pen-mouse body, such as buttons, wheels, etc. The selection of a button or other virtual control causes a corresponding computer mouse button function to be executed. The execution is directed at any object designated by a pen-mouse tracking symbol, such as an arrow, that is part of the pen mouse graphic. The pen-mouse emulates functions or operations of a mouse including single button clicks, double button clicks, finger wheels, track balls, etc.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 2, 2014
    Publication date: March 26, 2015
    Inventors: George FITZMAURICE, Gordon Paul KURTENBACH, William A. BUXTON, Robert J. PIEKE
  • Publication number: 20150079884
    Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention relate to roll polishers that may be utilized with rollers in rolling stands that have restrictive space requirements. The roll polisher of the present invention comprises a tube with pivot actuators used to engage and disengage a rolling pad on the surface of a roller. Transverse actuators may be located at least partially within the tube, or in other embodiments located outside of the tube, and used to move the tube, and thus, the rolling pad, transversely back and forth across the surface of the roller. The roll polisher may operate apply a force to the pad engaging the rolling surface to remove defects and smooth the surface of the polisher.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 17, 2013
    Publication date: March 19, 2015
    Applicant: Nucor Corporation
    Inventors: William Buxton, Jason D. Barron
  • Patent number: 8904310
    Abstract: The present invention is a system that provides a pen based computer user with a graphical user interface tool, a pen-mouse, that looks like and functions like a mouse but that is controlled by a limited input device such as a pen or stylus of the pen based computer. The pen-mouse is a tracking menu that tracks the position of the pen. A pen cursor that corresponds to the pen is allowed to be moved about within the pen-mouse graphic by the pen and the pen-mouse remains stationary. The pen-mouse is moved when the location of the pen encounters a tracking boundary of the pen-mouse. The tracking boundary typically coincides with the graphic representing the mouse. While moving within the pen-mouse, the pen can select objects within the pen-mouse body, such as buttons, wheels, etc. The selection of a button or other virtual control causes a corresponding computer mouse button function to be executed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 25, 2007
    Date of Patent: December 2, 2014
    Assignee: Autodesk, Inc.
    Inventors: George W. Fitzmaurice, Gordon Kurtenbach, William A. Buxton, Robert J. Pieke
  • Publication number: 20140078063
    Abstract: Gesture-initiated keyboard operations are described. In one or more implementations, one or more touch inputs that involve interaction with a key of a keyboard are identified. Touch inputs can be identified using touchscreen functionality of a display device or using one or more pressure-sensitive touch sensors. Based on this touch input(s), a gesture is recognized. The gesture is configured to initiate an operation that corresponds to at least one key that is not included in the keys of the keyboard. In one or more implementations, the operation is a shift, caps lock, backspace, enter, tab, or control operation.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 12, 2012
    Publication date: March 20, 2014
    Applicant: MICROSOFT CORPORATION
    Inventors: Steven Nabil Bathiche, William A. Buxton, Moshe R. Lutz
  • Patent number: 8542237
    Abstract: Font animation technique embodiments are presented which animate alpha-numeric characters of a message or document. In one general embodiment this is accomplished by the sender transmitting parametric information and animation instructions pertaining to the display of characters found in the message or document to a recipient. The parametric information identifies where to split the characters and where to rotate the resulting sections. The sections of each character affected are then translated and/or rotated and/or scaled as dictated by the animation instructions to create an animation over time. Additionally, if a gap in a stroke of an animated character exists between the sections of the character, a connecting section is displayed to close the stroke gap making the character appears contiguous.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 23, 2008
    Date of Patent: September 24, 2013
    Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
    Inventors: Michel Pahud, William Buxton, Sharon Cunnington
  • Patent number: 8348563
    Abstract: Disclosed are embodiments for a system for securing a load to a platform such as a coil to a transport system. The system includes a frame adapted for placement on a platform. The frame includes a cradle structure for engaging the load. An inflatable bladder is placed over the load and connected to the frame. When tensioned and inflated with gas, the bladder applies force to the load to secure the load to the frame and prevent movement of the coil during transport.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 27, 2010
    Date of Patent: January 8, 2013
    Assignee: Nucor Corporation
    Inventor: William Buxton
  • Patent number: 8340267
    Abstract: The claimed subject matter relates to an architecture that can preprocess audio portions of communications in order to enrich multiparty communication sessions or environments. In particular, the architecture can provide both a public channel for public communications that are received by substantially all connected parties and can further provide a private channel for private communications that are received by a selected subset of all connected parties. Most particularly, the architecture can apply an audio transform to communications that occur during the multiparty communication session based upon a target audience of the communication. By way of illustration, the architecture can apply a whisper transform to private communications, an emotion transform based upon relationships, an ambience or spatial transform based upon physical locations, or a pace transform based upon lack of presence.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 5, 2009
    Date of Patent: December 25, 2012
    Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
    Inventors: Dinei A. Florencio, Alejandro Acero, William Buxton, Phillip A. Chou, Ross G. Cutler, Jason Garms, Christian Huitema, Kori M. Quinn, Daniel Allen Rosenfeld, Zhengyou Zhang
  • Publication number: 20120162354
    Abstract: Existing remote workspace sharing systems are difficult to use. For example, changes made on a common work product by one user often appear abruptly on displays viewed by remote users. As a result the interaction is perceived as unnatural by the users and is often inefficient. Images of a display of a common work product are received from a camera at a first location. These images may also comprise information about objects between the display and the camera such as a user's hand editing a document on a tablet PC. These images are combined with images of the shared work product and displayed at remote locations. Advance information about remote user actions is then visible and facilitates collaborative mediation between users. Depth information may be used to influence the process of combining the images.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 27, 2012
    Publication date: June 28, 2012
    Inventors: Ankur Agarwal, Antonio Criminisi, William Buxton, Andrew Blake, Andrew Fitzgibbon
  • Publication number: 20120076606
    Abstract: Disclosed are embodiments for a system for securing a load to a platform such as a coil to a transport system. The system includes a frame adapted for placement on a platform. The frame includes a cradle structure for engaging the load. An inflatable bladder is placed over the load and connected to the frame. When tensioned and inflated with gas, the bladder applies force to the load to secure the load to the frame and prevent movement of the coil during transport.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 27, 2010
    Publication date: March 29, 2012
    Applicant: Nucor Corporation
    Inventor: William Buxton
  • Publication number: 20110121950
    Abstract: Methods and apparatus for uniquely identifying wireless devices in close physical proximity are described. When two wireless devices are brought into close proximity, one of the devices displays an optical indicator, such as a light pattern. This device then sends messages to other devices which are within wireless range to cause them to use any light sensor to detect a signal. In an embodiment, the light sensor is a camera and the detected signal is an image captured by the camera. Each device then sends data identifying what was detected back to the device displaying the pattern. By analyzing this data, the first device can determine which other device detected the indicator that it displayed and therefore determine that this device is within close physical proximity. In an example, the first device is an interactive surface arranged to identify the wireless addresses of devices which are placed on the surface.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 31, 2011
    Publication date: May 26, 2011
    Applicant: Microsoft Corporation
    Inventors: Shahram Izadi, Malcolm Hall, Stephen E. Hodges, William Buxton, David Alexander Butler